- Says 2 APC senators that tribunal upturned their victory will go to appeal court
The Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello on Thursday, told the Presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar and his counterpart from the Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi to perish the idea of appealing the judgement of the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal in the Supreme Court.
Recall that the PEPT had on Wednesday in a judgement on the consolidated petitions brought against the declaration of President Bola Tinubu as the winner of the February 25 Presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, dismissed the petitions by the PDP, LP and Allied Peoples Movement, APM.
The 5-man panel tribunal, while dismissing the petitions brought by the opposition parties, upheld the victory of Tinubu.
Fielding questions after paying a solidarity visit to Vice President Kashim Shettima, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Governor Bello said as far as he was concerned there was no reason while Atiku and Obi should challenge the judgement.
But the governor said that two of the Kogi state APC senators whose election victories were upturned by the National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal will head to the appeal court to challenge the tribunal’s verdict.
He boasted that the APC would retain the three Senatorial seats for Kogi state
Asked what was the general feeling of the APC regarding the tribunal’s verdict on Wednesday, he said, “Nothing is as successful as success. We are happy; Nigerians are happy and the truth is out there. We appreciate all that happened yesterday. The truth has been exposed. Imagine the justices sitting down for almost fourteen hours to deliver that landmark judgements yesterday.
“Nigerians within the country and in diaspora are happy and I thinks it’s time to settle down and face governance. And I advise all those that feel aggrieved, we have only one country, Nigeria they should all come together and support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and ensure that we fix this country.
“Whatever hardship we are facing today is the effects of the past. Definitely we have Mr. fix it who is trying his best travelling around the world to ensure that Nigeria is fixed. So we are happy the matter is settled.
“As far as I’m concerned, I don’t think there is any ground for appeal. I will rather appeal to them that they should drop any appeal going to the higher court and then save the resources, save the trouble, advise their supporters, admonish them that they should accept yesterday’s judgement. No flaw. I thank God for all that happened yesterday (Wednesday).
Asked on what would be his advice to the supporters of the two Kogi APC Senators who lost their seats at the tribunal, he said, “This is democracy. and they have right of appeal. I think they will take the appropriate steps to ensure that no violence is orchestrated anywhere.
“We will follow the due process of the law and whatever will be the outcome at the end of the day, we abide by it. But I want to assure you that even judging from the pronouncements yesterday at the appeal court, we are going to have our 3/3 Senate in Kogi state, I can assure you.”
Recall that the Kogi State Election Tribunal had declared Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as the winner of the 25th February Senatorial election in the Kogi Central Senatorial District.
The three-member panel of judges, led by K. A. Orjiako, at the Kogi State Election Petition Tribunal unanimously declared her winner of the election after nullifying the victory of the All Progress Congress, APC, candidate, Abubakar Sadiku-Ohere.
The National Assembly election petition tribunal sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, also sacked the Chairman, Senate Committee on Customs Excise and Tariffs, Jibrin Isah, APC, Kogi East, on the ground that elections were cancelled in 94 polling units.
Consequently, it ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to conduct a supplementary election in the 94 polling units.